A COURSE IN CONSERVATION By Brittney Garringer During an animal behavior class, assistant professor of biology Dr. Trixie Pittman and her students were talking about the responsibility of Christians to be on the forefront of nature conservation. Biology Department Chair Dr. Benjamin Bruner then gave them an idea. Senior biology major William Justus was a student in Pittman's class and proponent of conservation. "I distinctly remember Dr. Bruner poking his head in, and we were talking about this stuff, and he was like, 'You can always ask for a class,"' Justus said. Justus worked with Bruner to compile a list of students who would be interested in the course. Students and professors alike collaborated to create a course outline and find a free online textbook to use. The majority of students in the class were also involved with the Harding University Animal Association, which was built around the idea that man's original purpose was to tend the earth, taking the concepts of conservation and trying to implement them further. "Conservation is something very near and dear to our hearts," Justus said. "As Christian biologists we care about this stuff more than the average Joe." Around seven professors rotated throughout the semester, teaching distinct units according to their specialties. Senior biology major Hailey Weare said the diversity of professors from the department allowed for a diverse curriculum. "(The class) covers a broad spectrum oftopics," Weare said. "It's really nice, too, because we don't have any one professor trying to cover all of them." According to Justus, even though they received smaller paychecks when teaching a course with multiple instructors, the professors did so because they believed in the topic and their students. Retired biology professor Dr. Joseph Goy returned to Harding solely to teach a section on marine biology in the course. The class met for two hours once a week and included several field trips to view local conservations. The students also spent their fall break in Louisiana to study coastal conservation. Assistant professor Dr. Michael Nicodemus traveled with the class to Louisiana to study conservation in refuges. "They talked to us about how they maintain the refuges through burns and other methods to promote longleaf pine forests for habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker," Nicodemus said. Weare said the class covered topics pertinent to students of all majors. "We are all science majors, but the class isn't really science heavy," Weare said. "This is a class that could be offered for anyone who is interested." Richard Martin from the Nature Conservancy speaks ro the class about the ejforts of the private nonp,·ofit organi:wtion and its conservation at the Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve in Louisiana on Oct. 3. The class c;t11diecl under dijfere11t professors as they rotated teaching in units on their specific nreas of study throughout the semester. I Photo courtesy of Michael Nicodemus
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